Controllable Microwave Emission for Uniform Food Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current microwave cooking appliances lack control over microwave emissions, leading to inefficient heating as they do not account for specific food items' geometry and permittivity, resulting in uneven heating.
Innovation Solution
A solid state microwave cooking appliance with a controllable source of microwave emissions uses an operating control system to determine and apply specific heating strategies by simulating microwave patterns based on appliance and food geometry, permittivity, and target outcomes, adjusting until the desired heating is achieved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a powerful microwave source with no control over emission is used, then heating power is high, but heating uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the microwave emission controllable rather than fixed. The solid state source allows dynamic adjustment of emission parameters including power levels and frequency, enabling the system to adapt microwave delivery to the specific geometry and permittivity of different food items, thereby achieving both high power and uniform heating
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by specifying and adjusting microwave emission parameters such as power, frequency, and temporal patterns. The system determines optimal parameter combinations based on food item characteristics and iteratively refines them through simulation and testing, transforming the fixed-parameter approach into a variable-parameter system that achieves uniform heating
2Ease of operation
If solid state sources with specified emissions are used, then control over microwave emission is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-determining heating strategies through computational simulation before actual cooking. The system creates a digital model of the cavity and food item, simulates various heating scenarios, and pre-calculates optimal emission parameters, thereby simplifying the actual operation while maintaining sophisticated control capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements copying by creating a digital model or virtual replica of the physical cavity and food item geometry. This digital copy allows for extensive simulation and optimization without requiring physical prototypes or complex hardware modifications, reducing device complexity while enabling precise control
3Manufacturing precision
If heating strategies are determined through simulation and iteration, then heating precision is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing computational simulations and iterative optimizations in advance, before actual cooking begins. The system pre-determines the optimal heating strategy by simulating the heating process with the specific food geometry and material properties, thereby achieving high precision without time loss during actual cooking operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical trial-and-error experimentation with computational simulation. Instead of physically testing different heating parameters on actual food items (which would be time-consuming), the system uses electromagnetic field simulations to predict and optimize heating outcomes, dramatically reducing the time required to determine precise heating strategies
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables precise and efficient heating by iteratively adjusting microwave patterns to match target outcomes, ensuring consistent results and storing optimized strategies for future use, enhancing cooking efficiency and uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
a controllable source of microwave emissions
Implementation Method 2
each selected food item having a permittivity value
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining heating strategies for a cooking appliance (10) includes obtaining geometry dimensions, power values, and frequency values of the cooking appliance (10), selecting a food item (14) and obtaining a food geometry, permittivity value, and initial temperature of the selected food item (14). A heating pattern (28) for heating the selected food item (14) is estimated based on the food geometry, permittivity value, and initial temperature of the selected food item (14) and data indicative of the estimated heating pattern (28) is inputted to an operating control system (21) to achieve the estimated heating strategy.